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fH Traditional History 



Written By 

<PUSEY IV. gUFFINGTON 

. . IN 1900 or . . 







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DOE RUN 

. . AND . . 

ADJACENT LANDS 
AND DWELLING. 









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Press of 

Amos Mail Order Printery 

Coatesville, Penna. 

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Copyright, 1916, by W. L. Amos. .. 

JW - 12/916 ©CU434944 



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A TRADITIONAL HISTORY, WRITTEN BY PUSEY W. 

BUFFINGTON IN 1900, OF DOE RUN AND ADJACENT 

LANDS AND DWELLING. 



This is a brief history, which I have gathered from time to time 
and which interested me while it may not interest many of yon, or 
perhaps none at all, yet owing to its briefness I hope yon will bear 
with me as it will take but little time to relate all I have to say. 

Now in order to fully realize the position and appreciate the 
meaning, I must ask you to allow your imaginative power to won- 
derfully expand, relay the thinking brain of the day, let it open out 
to the fullest extent of its relaxation. You must turn and look back- 
ward, imagine yourselves here two hundred years ago instead ot 
1900. say 1700, standing on this sacred ground, cushioned with 
autumn leaves and green tufts of grass, and for roof, clear blue sky 
above. Imagine yourselves here as far as the eyes can penetrate, 
1 ne dense wooded forest, save only these meadows less densely 
wcoded. producing plenty of tall rough pasture for what stock there 
is to devour it. with no sign of buildings or habitation, save only the 
lone ere of which we treat. 

Xow if you have imaginatively placed yourselves in this posi- 
tion, as though dropped from some unknown port above, down into 
the midst of this towering forest, with no agricultural sign whatever, 
no ringing of the hammer on the anvil, no lowing of herds of cattle, 
no sound from the horses' hoofs, no rumbling from the vehicle wheels 
or automobiles as now when passing along our public highways, no 
sc und save only those belonging to the forest, to the wild beasts and 
ro the beautiful plumed birds as they warbled and sang praises to 
their maker. If vour minds are now in this condition, then you are 
re?dv to receive, drink in and appreciate of what I relate. I would 
sny, relinquish all ideas of present and future, take a retrospective 
view of this immediate place, right here where now the beautiful 
Doe Run creek meanders through this green valley, along the base 
of the prolific western hills, onward to and beyond the noted and 
renowned Brandywine. where stand the giant and monarchial oaks, 

'- their outstre f ched arms, as so many sentinel guards to the sur- 
rounding country. 

For the encouragement of those owning land here, I have this 

say, that a person overheard two others recently talking in the 
Oxford bkvel, and in the course of conversation on the differen' 
rualities and productiveness of land, one remarked: If you would 
eive me Doe Run Valley, you might have all the rest of the United 
States. Quite a send-off for those of you who own land in this val- 
ley. A short traditional historv of a dwelling, and adjacent land be- 



longing thereto, in Doe Run village, on the triangular piece of 
ground, on the north side of the Doe Run and Wilmington road, 
dating back to when this country was almost a perfect wilderness, 
when this immediate section was one vast forest, when Lhese fertile 
lands now producing the enormous quantities of golden grain, and 
most prolific in the almost numberless varieties of choicest and most 
luscious fruits. When the small scattered patches of Indian maize, 
were like so many oases in the desert, when the Iroquois Indians' 
wigwam adorned the crest tops of our hills and as the smoke from 
the pipe of peace, and the cooking of their coon on their thanksgiv- 
ing offer, which always occurred during the last moon of the month 
after their corn harvest, went curling heavenward through the forest 
tops, serving as an index board, serving as a pointer board, serving 
as a guide, so few were the settlements, that they embraced these 
means as a guide from one settlement to another. This was at- 
tested to as is related. 

When a person (whose name I have forgotten) settled a short 
distance from where Clcnmell Station now stands, and near the big 
Indian spring", and one sometime afterward settled near this place, 
and after residing here for some length of time, not aware that he 
h id n neighbor anywhere near, noticed on different occasions smoke 
arising to the southward, above the tree tops, up toward the blue 
firmament above, concluded there must be a settlement of some kind 
in that direction and started off to ascertain its whereibouts. On 
reaching it he found it to be a person with whom he had had some 
acquaintance. On informing him where he had taken up his abode, 
he replied, "Oh, yes, I know that is in the great pasture-land of the 
valley. I drive my cattle there to pasture," so you see these ever- 
productive green meadows, wich are now so highly prized for 
their abundant pasturage, and upon which thousands of the finest 
cattle have been fed, were, in those ages, renowned for the same pur- 
pose, and known as the great pasture lands of the valley. 

Now this is a history of the Smith Bros.' property in Dee Run 
village, formerly known as the Henry Wilson farm, and prior to 
that as a part of the property of John Barnard and son, and earlier 
that of John Hannum, and still earlier that of Nathaniel Ring, and 
still farther back as of one Archie McNeil, and in about 1700 or a 
little before as that of one Margaret Randell, who in later years was 
very familiarly known as Old Granny Ring, which brings us to the 
real subject of this history. This property together with that of the 
late Evan Baker, the late John Thompson, the late Barclay Smith, 
the late Joseph Palmer and the present George Elvin, Sr., making 
about eight hundred acres in all comprised her domain. 



just where the hues were we have no records. Land was not 
so valuable then. A ^ieat many of these small histories wind up or 
end with some romance or love story, but this one differs from those, 
as you will eventually see from the fact that love is, in the very be- 
ginning, the very commencement of this case. Granny Ring was 
the daughter of William Hamilton, a wealthy miller, owner of the 
Willour Mills, near Dublin, Ireland. He hired as a miller a young 
man by the name of William Ranken, who proved to be a first-class 
man, and in whom he had much confidence. The old gentleman, 
however, soon found that his daughter Margaret and Ranken were 
fast forming a very strong attachment for each other, and it being 
such a terrible disgrace and dishonor to the entire family, among 
the aristocracy there, for one to marry beneath their social quality, 
he discharged Ranken, who at once did as all oppressed and heavily 
burdened do; he came to America, verifying the old adage, "the 
course of true love never runs smooth." 

It seems the young people, however, must have kept up a cor- 
respondence, for at the end of one year Margaret, under pretense 
cf visiting friends and relatives in Dublin, her father being wealthy 
and doting on his only child, feeling that in getting rid of Ranken, 
he had not only averted a family calamity, but turned her thoughts 
into other channels, and on request dealt out funds to her liberally 
and even lavishingly. With these funds to make the pretended visit 
and some costly purchases while there and taking ample clothing, 
instead of remaining in Dublin, embarked on the next vessel for 
America, and arrived in Philadelphia and found Ranken. They 
were married. 

This news so enraged her parents that they disinherited her. 
Now for sometime here we seem to have lost all trace of them, but 
eventually after her father's death, the mother relented and rein- 
stated the daughter, she then received her full share of the great 
wealthy estate. It is supposed this was about the time she made 
this purchase, and built the west end of the present dwelling, having 
had all the lumber, all + he sash and all the glass shipped from 
England. All the doors, window frames and panels were hand- 
carved in England. Some of the glass in the northwest window, in 
the second story, remains there intact to-day. This appears to be the 
oldest tavern of the place. The bar still stands, enclosed, with its 
little opening door, through which the drinks were dealt out. The 
little doorway above the bar is where they secreted their valuables 
during the Revolutionary War. It is said there was an iron ring in 
the floor of the room, and a gentleman of this place informs me that 
he did see it there a few years back. To this ring she kept a pet 



monkey chained, whose name was July. The old fireplace and the 
great crane is. still there, in which said monkey played a prank on 
them one Sabbath day. They had grain, corn, perhaps, as it was the 
chief product at that time, in the field beside the house, and the 
weather having been wet and unfavorable for sometime, concluded 
to gather it that day, and getting some other help went to work. 
The good-hearted granny thought she would give them a good din- 
ner, made a famous pot of soup on the great crane in the old fire- 
place. Granny stepped out to call the men, she waited and came in 
with them. Lo and behold, the spectacle, as they came into the 
room, here sat the monkey upon a stool, with a cat by the tail 
dousing him in and out of the great pot of soup, so the poor cat suf- 
fered, and Granny had to get up some other dinner for them. 

When this monkey died I have been unable to ascertain, but her 
remains were buried in a mahogany coffin on the east side of where: 
now stands an evergreen in the front yard. A few years ago when 
Charles Plumbly lived on the property, in digging he came across 
the outline and bones of what he thought was a human skeleton, 
which must have been the monkey. During the time the armies 
were encamped near Chadd's Ford a party of five Hessians started 
out on a foraging expedition, and halted in front of this dwelling, 
dismounted and marched into the house, and with revolvers in hand 
forced the servants and occupants to go upstairs while they took 
possession of the first floor and selected whatever suited them, and 
on their return one of them was shot in West Chester. 

During the erection of this building, one day the mechanics got 
to imbibing too freely, and while at dinner one of the servants got 
their bottle of rum, took a stone out of the wall of the east chimney, 
and built the bottle and contents in. I suppose it is there safe and 
sound to this day. 

Ranken's eldest daughter, Margaret, married James Parry, and 
by the way. Dr. Gibbons Parry, of Florida, Henry County, Ohio, 
: who visited the late James N. Taylor, of this vicinity, in 1879, came 
to this place and was given two or three relics out of the old house, 
which he carried home with him. He was the great, great grandson 
of Granny Ring. He said his grandfather, John Parry, son of James 
and Margaret, was born first month twelfth, 1746, and he had heard 
him say he lived with his grandmother Ring at the old Doe Run 
tavern until he was twelve years old. 

After the decease of Ranken, the widow married Archie Mc- 
Neil, of whom was born William McNeil, who inherited all his 
grandmother's estate, the eight hundred acres together with nearly 
all the silverware, of which there was a considerable amount. Dr. 



Gibbons Parry, in writing to bis friends bere on tbe first month 
twelfth, 1880, said, 1 have in my possession two heirlooms, handed 
down from my grandfather Parry, to the eldest son, then to my 
father, James the eldest son, then to myself also the eldest son, now 
seventy-five years old the eighth of last twelfth month. These be- 
longed to William and Margaret Ranken, a silver spoon marked 
M. R. on reverse side, P. S. enclosed in a heart, tbe other is a silver 
case marked W. R., containing silver-handled knife and fork, such 
as the gentry in ages past carried with them when invited out to 
dine. It seems the rich always took their own knife and fork with 
them, and it is thought it was from these silver cases, that our com- 
mon table knife took the name of caoeknife. 

After the death of McNeil, the widow married Nathaniel Ring, 
an Irishman. This man proved to be quite an intemperate person, 
sometimes becoming quite unruly. It is said, on one of these occa- 
siors, when the brain was upturned and passion had taken posses- 
sion, he was about to break up and demolish a highly prized table, 
eke said to him, "I have laid to cool two husbands, and unless you 
behave, I will cool the third one;" what effect this threat had we 
have no account, but can surmise the result. 

I was talking to an old gentleman, William Rubincan, who re- 
lates that in his boyhood days he used to visit his uncle, John Han- 
num, for two or three days at a time, and that this monkey July was 
then living. He kept three hounds, Ringwood, Haunis and Trips, 
by which he set much store. 

Up to that date there was no water at these buildings, but car- 
ried it from a never-failing fountain, at what is now George Elvin's. 
Seme difficulty having arisen between John and Clark, who then 
owned the Elvin property, John would not permit bis family to get 
or use water from the Clark fountain. He told them to use the 
water from a surface swamp spring in the field below the house, but 
they would sometimes get it there unknown to him. On one occa- 
sion he saw the boy, William Rubincan, coming from Clark's with a 
] itcher of water in each hand. He said nothing to the boy, but 
we'i f into the house and said, "Hannah, why did you send William 
up there for water? I said not to get any there." Hannah replied, 
'•Where would we get any fit to use?" John said, "Down at the 
sprin^." Hannah replied, "Oh, pshaw on that spring, I wish you 
were tied in that spring with head down and heels up." 

.4 bout the last we know of Granny Ring, was that her remains 
were laid to rest on the north of the hillside, sloping to the valley 
and creek, near the late Joseph Palmer's dwelling. 

The End. 



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